In the Record Sports preview of the new season, I tipped Hamilton Accies to be relegated at the end of this season.

It was an act of utter folly, considering I had watched Alex Neil’s men pass Hibs off the Easter Road pitch to clinch promotion just a couple of months earlier.

I knew Hamilton were a good footballing team but I suspected that when it came to playing week in, week out against teams with more experience in the top flight they’d struggle to pick up enough points.

I had far more confidence in the other promoted team, Dundee, having watched them play really well against Manchester City in pre-season.

Paul Hartley had bought well in the summer, drafting in guys like Gary Harkins, Paul McGowan, James McPake and Kevin Thomson – all of whom are tried and tested at Premiership level. At least I got that bit right.

So it’s time for another prediction, although this one will have everybody with Accies in their hearts telling me to shut up. I think that by this time next week, Hamilton could have ensured their top-flight survival.

If they beat Kilmarnock at New Douglas Park on Saturday (highly possible) allied to St Mirren losing at Firhill the night before (highly probable) and Ross County suffering defeat to Aberdeen at Pittodrie (probably highly possible), Accies will be 16 points clear of the Paisley and Dingwall clubs with 31 games left.

St Mirren and Ross County would both have to win six more games than Hamilton to get above them.

Hearts couldn’t overcome an administration penalty15-point deficit last season over 38 matches last term, so there is little reason to believe that Saints or County could do so in seven fewer.

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In fact, there is a decent argument for saying that Accies are just about there already because a 13-point advantage is massive over two teams who don’t look capable of winning a game – although Ross County might get some kind of reaction from Jim McIntyre and Billy Dodds taking over the helm.

Make no mistake, if Hamilton slip from first and finish 10th they will be doing cartwheels at NDP.

This is not the season to be finishing 11th. Not when it looks certain that Hearts or Rangers will occupy second spot in the Championship next May and be huge favourites against the second-bottom Premiership club in the play-off final.

No, 11th is a place to avoid, all right. And Hamilton have already done much of the hard work.

It has been a stunning start and what a way for their secretary, Scott Struthers, to bow out.

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Ask anyone in my side of the business to name the most helpful football administrator and Scott’s name will always be high up. In fact, if his bacon rolls had been of the quality provided by Alan Burrows at Motherwell, he might even be top of the pile.

Scott is leaving Hamilton in the near future, a decision he took at the end of last season despite Hamilton’s promotion to the top flight. He has served the club for 30 years through every high and the many lows but wants to do his own thing now and with a few irons in the UEFA fire, it wouldn’t surprise me if the big wigs in Nyon end up utilising his administrative expertise.

That will be Hamilton and Scottish football’s loss but for Struthers to leave when Accies are sitting top of the league is fairytale stuff. He’s leaving behind a club that doesn’t have a huge budget but uses what it does have very wisely.

They recently received a windfall thanks to a carefully negotiated sell-on clause when they transferred James McArthur to Wigan a few years ago.

McArthur, who has flourished into a Scotland international, moved to Crystal Palace for £7million in the summer.

Hamilton got at least £700,000.They certainly got more than that, much more, when another of their likely lads, James McCarthy, switched from Wigan to Everton a year ago for £12m.

But every penny of the cash they received from McArthur and McCarthy has been ploughed straight back into the academy system that found them and nurtured them.

It hasn’t been used on attracting players on big wages or on transfer fees. Instead, the money is being used on scouting and developing so another McCarthy can be found, given experience and sold on for big money again ... and so the wheel keeps turning.

Hamilton might be the smallest club in the biggest league but they are getting it right and have been for years.

And although they won’t thank me for saying so, I think we’re going to enjoy them in the top league well beyond the end of this season.